"Colonal Willie Sharp, United States Air Force, requesting to shake the hand of the daughter of the bravest man I've known..."

Armageddon was on TV tonight and though I didn't watch it this time around, it got me thinking of just how great that movie is and how it holds so much sentimental value. It takes me straight back to when I was in sixth grade: my family and I had just moved the SUBURBS of America and I had been finishing up my last year of elementary (primary) school. I remember my first day and how... I felt so much like the odd one out. My black jeans and purple cardy (yes, I remember what I was wearing; think what you will) and my teacher with her big hair, big eyes, big mouth and, of course, that quintessential burly American accent. She took me around the other classrooms to "introduce" the new girl from "New Zeeeeahland." 'Say something!' they'd ask. 'Ummm... hello?' '[Laughs] Oh my goodness! So you're from Australia!' 'No, actually, New Zealand.' 'Oh, is that that little island at the bottom of Australia?' 'No, actually that's Tasmania.' 'Oh.... well, welcome!' And so forth. [Unfortunately, this was pre-Lord of the Rings when people around the world hadn't heard of New Zealand before.] What must have been even more strange is the fact that I don't look very kiwi at all. I mean, that's not the kind of accent you'd expect from someone who looks asian -- is asian.

I'm getting side-tracked, but that's actually my point. Armageddon; sentimental value; etc. It was during that year I watched Armageddon. No wait, I lie. I watched it back in Auckland right before I left for the States, but my fervent passion to become an astronaut started in that overlapping time period. Inspired by the world-saving heroic deeds of Bruce Willis and Co., I knew right there and then the day an asteroid was really headed for earth, I wanted to be one of those twelve heading straight for it to save the world.

It sounds silly now, of course, but... it was real. There are certain things in life which as time goes by you have to remind yourself of how real it was (or still is) and this is one of those things. It certainly got serious enough. My year-long 8th grade project was on NASA and the 60s; for my year-long 9th grade project I built a wee robot, scientific method and everything [Sidebar: yes this all sounds very nerdy... but I guess it was]; and one of my judges for 8th grade project who was a member of the Rotary Club had contacts with a congressman and the three of us HAD LUNCH. Is that crazy, or what? Not to mention, I was fourteen at the time. I didn't really tell anyone about that lunch expect for my parents who, let's face it, had very little interest in hearing about my aeronautical fantasies. Nonetheless, I had a plan and most importantly I was more ambitious than ANYTHING.

Oh how times have changed. It's fun thinking about though. And watching Armageddon always gets me revisiting these times.

I know it's a new year and all, but to be honest, I've never really been one to celebrate New Years. It's not an active decision, but I've just never felt it was a big deal. The rolling of another number at the end of yet another number. 2007, 2008... it doesn't mean much. What is significant, however -- how I measure the passing of time, in a way -- is how situations change, people change. How I change.

Anna the Astronaut... it was amazing while it lasted. But more than that, it was real. I was really gonna do it... But God had other things in mind.